Her Name is Alice
by gypsybelleoftheopera
Summary: In Wonderland, the Mad Hatter becomes obsessed with a girl named Alice. In Storybrooke, Jefferson meets a new girl in town also named Alice. In Storybrooke it takes place in between What Happened to Frederick and Red Handed. Please r & r.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: So I came up with this story last year after seeing Hat Trick, a year before OUATIW was announced. So I'm putting this story out now before the new show comes out so it won't affect any headcanons I have. Luckily based off the show's trailer, nothing in my story is really affected. So enjoy! **

Alice wandered around, reflecting on her conversation with the Cheshire Cat. "However, if I were looking for a white rabbit, I'd ask the Mad Hatter."

"The Mad Hatter?"

"Or there's the March Hare in that direction."

"Thank you, I think I shall visit him."

"Of course, he's mad too."

"But I don't want to go among mad people!"

"Oh, you can't help that. Most everyone is mad here."

As she was lost in thought, she snapped out of it by the sound of maniacal laughing and teacups shattering. That must be them, she thought as she approached the source of the sound. Once they were in view, she could see them perfectly; a man in a top hat and wild hair and a giant rabbit dressed in man's clothes sitting at a long table covered in teapots and teacups.

Timidly Alice approached them. "Pardon me," she said quietly. Apparently she was loud enough so that they stopped what they were doing and stared at her in uncomfortable silence. "May I, um, join you?"

The Hatter continued to stare at her, his eyes practically bulging out of his head. It wasn't until the Hare spoke up that the silence ended. "Young lady, this is a private tea party, and it is impolite for someone to just show up uninvited!"

"Don't be rude Hare, I would actually love it if she could stay. After all, it would be nice if we could have something different for a change." The Hatter pulled out a chair and turned to Alice. "Please," he said smiling, "sit." Alice returned the smile and sat down before the Hatter resumed his seat. "So tell me," he said, his eyes fixated on her, still smiling. "What is your name little girl?"

"Alice, Alice Liddell."

"Alice, what a lovely name."

* * *

Alice stared out the window as New York City kept shrinking further and further into the distance. She rest her head against the window, her arms folded. "I still don't understand why we have to move."

"I already told you," Alice's father replied, "I got offered a job in Maine that makes more than twice as much as my previous job."

"It's not that big a deal. All you're doing is counting some rich guy's money."

"Besides," her mother added, "I heard that this is a nice, quiet little town, and personally I think being away from the big city will do you some good."

"I still don't understand why I couldn't just stay behind at home."

"Because you don't have a job and a place to live."

"Although maybe that wouldn't be the case if you didn't go out drinking or clubbing every other night."

Alice rolled her eyes. Even though she was twenty-two, she hated that she still had to put up with her parents' whole "my house, my rules" mentality.

After spending hours in the car, she couldn't help but feel like she was in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but trees around. Finally she saw something amidst the trees; a sign that read "Welcome to Storybrooke."


	2. Chapter 2

"So Alice tell me, what's a girl like you doing all alone in a strange place like this?" the Hatter asked.

"Well, I was minding my own business when all of a sudden a white rabbit with a waste coat and pocket watch appeared shouting that he was late. I had never seen such a thing before, so I followed him, curious as to where he was going. I followed him down the rabbit hole and I kept falling until I found myself here, and I've been following him since through this place."

"You mean to tell me you are not from this world?" The Hatter's eyes started bulging out again, his smile fading.

"Yes."

"You managed to come here from another world without the aid of a hat? You just simply found a hole that led you here?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"Does the world you come from by any chance have magic?"

"Magic?" Alice chuckled. "I had never seen real magic before today, although I have heard stories."

"What you've seen here isn't real magic. It's something else entirely, something worse. What it is exactly, I don't know. But you mean to tell me that you come from a world without magic?"

"Of course. If you don't mind me asking, why are you so fixated on other worlds and magic?"

"I have my reasons."

There was an awkward silence. "So about the rabbit," Alice said trying to break it.

"Yes, yes, of course, your rabbit. I'm afraid I can't help you with that. When it comes to all affairs involving rabbits you would want to consult with the March Hare," he said pointing to the rabbit at the table, who was sitting with his back turned to them and his arms folded.

"Oh, finally done with your little conversation now, are you?" he asked sarcastically as he turned around. "I thought that you two had become so chummy with each other that you forgot about me! I hate to tell you this girl, but I don't have any clue where your stupid rabbit could've wandered off to."

* * *

"Mom, I hate it here! It's boring!"

"We've only been here for a day. Just give it time."

Alice was about to storm upstairs when she heard a knock at the front door. She opened it to see a tall, thin middle-aged man in a suit holding a cane. "Excuse me, but is this by any chance the Lewis residence?"

"Yes," answered Alice, confused as to who this man was.

"Hello?" Alice's father entered the room, looking confused as well.

"Charles Lewis?" the man asked.

"Yes?"

"I'm Mr. Gold, we spoke over the phone," he said putting his hand out.

Alice's father stretched his arm out passed Alice to shake his hand. "Oh yes, Mr. Gold, please come in." Mr. Gold thanked him as he stepped inside and Alice closed the door. "To what do I owe this nice surprise?"

"Well I figured I gave you the job and helped buy you your new home, the least I could do would be to finally meet you in person."

"Of course. Honey!" he called to his wife. When he wasn't looking, Mr. Gold turned to look at Alice, who returned his glance with discomfort. This only lasted a couple seconds, for her mom came out of the kitchen and he turned his focus back on them. "I would like you to meet Mr. Gold. Mr. Gold, this is my wife, Carol."

"A pleasure," he replied while shaking her hand.

"And this," Mr. Lewis gestured to the stairs as Alice stopped midway, "is my daughter Alice."

Alice slowly walked back downstairs to shake Mr. Gold's hand. "And it's a pleasure to meet you, Alice." Alice smiled politely until he let go, in which she then hurried back up the stairs. There was something about Mr. Gold that crept her out, although she couldn't explain what.

"You have a very lovely family," he said to Mr. Lewis. "And I look forward to when we can start working together."


	3. Chapter 3

After the tea party, Alice continued to wander around. After some time had passed she decided to give up chasing the White Rabbit and started to look for a way back home. She eventually found herself in a hedge maze when she heard the sound of fanfare behind her. She immediately found a corner to hide in and hid while she watched whoever was approaching. A group of men and women passed, all dressed in fancy gowns and suites of red, black, and gold, wearing masks that completely covered their faces. They appeared to be lead by a woman in a gown more elaborate than what the others were wearing with a giant gold heart on the back with a tiara and a red veil that covered her face. They all walked straight ahead in silence without even acknowledging anyone.

When they passed by Alice, she released a sigh of relief. She turned around, ready to continue on her way, when standing next to her was guard dressed in black and red. Alice was about to scream, but the guard wrapped his arm around her mouth. She then noticed that there were more guards surrounding her, one of whom grabbed her legs and another wrapped his arms around hers, so that they were carrying her away and she couldn't move or make any noise.

The guards moved her through the maze and presented her before the woman, who was now sitting in a throne. They dropped her to the ground, although she immediately stood back up and brushed herself off. She tried simply walking away, but she was surrounded by guards holding spears to her. The woman whispered into some sort of device in which her right-hand man was on the receiving end, holding it to his ear. "The Queen of Hearts wishes to know who you are and what you are doing here."

"My name is Alice Liddell and I came to this world by following a rabbit down a rabbit hole." Alice perked up when she heard the sound of fanfare again, turning to see that it was the rabbit blowing the trumpet. "And that's him! Oh Mister Rabbit!" Alice shouted as she stood on her toes waving, trying to get his attention. "Mister Rabbit, you can justify that I was following you here, right?"

Everyone suddenly shifted their attention to him. "Yes, it's true. She did follow me here."

"And what exactly were you doing in another world?" the right-hand man asked for the Queen. "And do you remember precisely what world you were in?"

"I don't know your majesty. I didn't know I had fallen into another world. I don't even know how I got there. But I can promise you that it wasn't the one you're thinking of," he said nervously.

Everyone turned back to Alice. "And what were you planning on doing once you had captured the rabbit?"

"I don't know your majesty. I wasn't really planning on capturing him or anything. I was just curious as to where he was going. Now that I know though, after everything that has happened today, I would just like to go home now."

Even though she couldn't see her face, she could tell that the queen was now laughing, which made Alice feel incredibly uneasy. "You're not going anywhere," the man said with a chuckle. "The Queen has offered to give you a choice. Either you stay as her daughter and become the heir to the throne, or you will lose your head."

"But I want to go home! I'm tired of this place! Please, is there any way you could send me home?"

"No. Once you're in Wonderland, there is no way of ever leaving."

"So I'll never see my home or family again?" Alice started tearing up.

"Precisely. Now her majesty is still waiting for an answer." Alice just stood there, not knowing what to do. "You've wasted the Queen's time, you stupid girl. Off with her head."

"No, please!" Alice begged. But one of the guards held her so that she couldn't move while another showed up with an axe about to chop her head off. Alice closed her eyes in preparation of what was about to come.

Suddenly she saw a figure run in and kick the guard in the stomach, letting go of Alice. "Come on!" he shouted as he grabbed her hand and pulled her away.

"After them!" the Queen commanded. The guards all followed.

As Alice and the man ran, they kept constantly looked over their shoulders to see the guards following them. Once they were far away enough, they stopped for a quick breath and Alice could see who exactly her savior was. "Hatter?" she asked in shock.

"Here, eat this," he said, taking something out of his pocket and handing it to her. Alice inspected it and saw that it was part of a mushroom.

"But why?"

"Trust me, just do it!" They looked up when they saw that the guards were now gaining up on them. Quickly they ate as they ran. As they were running, Alice noticed that everything was gradually becoming bigger. Soon everything seemed giant to her. "Come here," the Hatter said, who had also shrunk, pulling her aside into the grass. They could feel the ground trembling as they looked up and saw the guards run past them.

Once they were gone, they ventured through the grass as if it were some kind of forest. "They're gone now, can't we just return to our normal heights?"

"We don't know that for sure. We'll stay like this until I feel that we are far enough away that we are safe from them. Yes it'll take longer, but this way they won't be able to find us."

They continued their journey. "Can we at least take a short break? I feel like I'm going to faint from all the running."

"Sure."

They both sat, followed by an awkward silence. Alice was the first to speak up. "Why did you come and rescue me?"

"Because I was a victim of hers before," he replied, pointing the circular scar on his neck. "I could never live with myself knowing that an innocent like you suffered her wrath."

Alice's eyes widened. "You mean she cut off your head and you lived?"

"Yeah," he said with a slight chuckle. "I was shocked about it too. But I don't know if that's the case with everybody. And even if you didn't die from your head being chopped off, she still would've killed you."

"She offered to make me her daughter."

"You didn't accept, did you?"

"Of course not. Why?"

"You wouldn't want to have that woman as a mother, trust me. I know you don't know her very well, but she is crueler than you could ever imagine."

"Well then, thank you for saving my life."

The Hatter smiled. "You're very welcome, Miss Alice." Alice smiled and blushed. "So tell me, did you ever find that rabbit you were looking for?"

"I did. It turns out that he works for her."

"Why am I not surprised? So now that you found him, what is your next plan?"

"To go home. But the thing is I don't even remember where I came from, so I don't know where to turn back to."

The Hatter's smile faded. "There is no going back."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"Because if there was a way out, I wouldn't still be here."

Alice's expression changed. "You're also not from this world, are you?" The Hatter shook his head. "And now I'll never see my family again," Alice said, tearing up again. She buried her head into her arms against her knees.

The Hatter stood up and sat down right next to her. He gently lifted her head up and placed his fingers under her chin to look at him. "Don't you worry," he said, drying her tears. "At least we have each other. And I promise, we'll get through this together."

Alice put her arms around him and pulled herself closer to him, resting her head against his chest. The Hatter returned the gesture by wrapping his arms around her. "Thank you."


	4. Chapter 4

Alice walked around, hoping that she could find somewhere that would give her some sort of buzz. She finally came across a hanging sign with a rabbit face on it that read "The Rabbit Hole." She couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the irony of Alice going into The Rabbit Hole.

When she walked inside, she was pretty pleased with what she saw. It looked like a nice bar, guys playing pool and hanging out, 80s rock playing from the jukebox, and chandeliers with the lights dimmed. "What would you like?" the bartender asked as she sat down.

"Whatever's the strongest thing you've got," she replied, showing her ID.

"Pardon me," came a voice from behind her, "May I join you?"

Alice turned around and standing behind her was a man dressed in black smiling down at her. "Sure," she answered, not showing a care.

"Thanks." He sat down next to her. "Bartender! Whatever this girl's getting, put it on my bill." He turned back to her.

"You really don't have to do that."

"I insist." He put his hand out. "The name's Jefferson."

"Jefferson?" Alice asked with a smile. "That's kind of a weird name." Jefferson shrugged as she giggled. "I'm Alice," she said returning the handshake.

"Alice, what a lovely name." Alice pulled back a bit and blushed. "So Alice tell me, what's a girl like you doing all alone in a place like this?"

"Well, it's a Saturday night, I'm stuck in this small, boring town with nothing to do and nowhere to go, what else am I going to do? What about you? Do you usually come here to pick up girls like this?"

"I'm not much of a ladies man, so I don't usually 'pick up girls like this.'"

"So then how do you explain picking up my bill?"

"Well, I see a beautiful young lady out alone and I try to be a gentleman."

"Whom else would I be with? I just moved to town a day ago. What's your excuse?"

"I've lived here for the last twenty-eight years, and yet I have no one. No friends, no family, nothing."

"And you thought picking up some girl who's clearly about a dozen years younger than you would be the way to start?"

"I wasn't really looking at it that way. I just saw it as two people who happen to be alone at the same place, thinking they could be alone together. But, if you wish for me to leave, then I will."

"I didn't say that. I'm sorry, it's just that I've been picked up on by guys at bars before and it never ends well."

"Well what if I proved to you that I'm not like those other guys?"

"Okay, try me."

Before they knew it, hours passed with the two of them talking and laughing and getting to know each other. "Shoot, it's getting late. I should probably get going." Alice stood up.

"We don't have to let this night end just yet."

"What do you propose?"

"I was thinking maybe I take you back to my place for some tea or something and then I take you home. What do you say?"

Alice looked concerned. "Are you sure? I mean Jefferson, you're a really nice guy and I really like the time we spent together tonight, but we just met. Don't you think it's a little too soon?"

He stood up. "Do you still not trust me?"

"I do, but…"

"Then trust me when I say that no harm will ever come to you as long as I'm around." He took her hand and kissed it. "Please."

"Okay, if you say so," she said rather hesitantly.

He opened the passenger door for her before getting in and they drove away.

When they arrived at Jefferson's house, Alice looked up in awe. "This is your house? It's so huge!"

Inside Jefferson brewed up some tea and handed a cup to Alice. She thanked him and took a sip. Soon she started feeling light-headed. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just…" Before she could finish she passed out.


	5. Chapter 5

When Alice woke up, she looked down and noticed that she was bound up on the floor. She then looked up to see Jefferson approach her, glaring down at her. "I thought you said that you would never hurt me."

Jefferson smiled a wicked smile. "I don't plan on hurting you."

"Then what do you want with me?" Alice was on the border of tears.

"I just want information." He kneeled down before her as she cowered in fear. "You know, I'm surprised that you don't remember me."

"Where would I remember you from? I've never met you before tonight."

"Oh come on Alice. Have you really forgotten about our adventure in Wonderland?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Wonderland. The Queen of Hearts almost killed you and I saved your life."

"That wasn't in the story."

"It's not just a story. How can you forget? I still remember it like it was yesterday."

"No, I think I would remember something like that."

"I saved your life, and all I asked in return was your friendship and company, and what do you do? You run away and abandon me. You could've at least taken me with you and gotten me out of that hellhole!"

"You're really starting to scare me Jefferson," her voice trembled. "You really think I'm the Alice from Alice in Wonderland, don't you."

"I don't think, I know."

"But I can't be. For one thing it's just a story, it's not real…"

"It is real! You of all people should know that!"

"And for another it takes place over a hundred years ago."

Jefferson looked away for a second, the wheels in his head turning. He finally looked back up at her, holding her gently yet sternly by the chin, forcing her to look at him. "What is your name?" he asked in a low, threatening voice.

"I already told you, it's Alice."

"Alice what?" he spat.

"Alice Lewis."

Jefferson stood up and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

Mr. Gold was polishing some stuff in his shop when he heard the bell at his door go off. "Can't you see that the shop is closed?" he asked, not even looking up to see who came in.

Jefferson angrily approached him, pointing at him while taking short, shallow breaths. "You brought me the wrong Alice!"

"Did I now?" Mr. Gold looked up, not showing any signs of concern.

"I specifically asked for Alice Liddell. The Alice you brought is not her!"

"Of course not. Alice Liddell is dead."

The look on Jefferson's face changed. "What?"

"She died over fifty years ago. So I brought you the next best thing, her great-great granddaughter, who just so happens to be named after her. So technically, I did follow through on what you asked of me." Jefferson stood there in silence, trying to comprehend what Mr. Gold had just said. "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly is it that you have planned with this girl?"

"Alice Liddell found a portal from this world to Wonderland. If that's the case, there's bound to be more portals to other worlds spread out. I would use her to find one that leads back to our home, where I could finally take Grace with me and have our lives go back to normal."

"Sounds like a brilliant plan Jefferson, but there are just a couple of flaws. This world is significantly bigger than ours; it just doesn't feel like it because we're stuck in this town. Also let's say that this Alice did find a portal, how would you get there when we can't leave? And let's say that the portal was in fact here in Storybrooke, Grace doesn't remember you, so you would be essentially kidnapping her, not to mention that you two would be the only ones back in the forest because the rest of us would be stuck here. Like it or not, our lives could never go back to normal."

"Well either way, it doesn't look like that's happening any time soon. Just because this Alice shares her blood, she doesn't share her memories. For all intensive purposes, she's useless to me."

"And after all the trouble I took to get her and her family here for you? Surly there must be some sort of use you can find for her." Jefferson thought back to earlier that night, to how much fun he had talking to her. But it still wasn't the same; he wanted _his_ Alice back.

* * *

Alice looked up when she heard Jefferson walk back in. He still looked angry, but he also looked as if he had calmed down a bit since he left. "I know you're not going to believe me, but everything I'm about to tell you is completely true." As he bent down before her, Alice cowered away from him again. "The story Alice in Wonderland was real. Your great-great grandmother was the Alice, and I am the Mad Hatter." Alice was about to say something, but Jefferson cut her off. "I know I don't look like anything in the pictures, and I know time-wise it doesn't make any sense. All I can say to that is that time works differently in Wonderland than it does here. Anyways, I saved her life, and all I asked in return was for her to stay with me. And what did she do? She ran away without a word. So that being said, you're here to finish out the favor she started for me. You are not to ever take foot outside this house for as long as I say."

"And when my parents see just how long I'm gone and call the police to start searching for me?"

Jefferson wickedly chuckled. "You didn't think that I would take that into account? Right now the town is in the midst of another missing person case. People are going to pay more attention to that since there's a scandal surrounding it, as opposed to some girl disappearing after going to a bar." He walked away and returned with a gun, holding it to her back as he untied her. "Now I had said that I don't intend on hurting you in any way, and I meant it. This is just in case you get any ideas once I untie you." When he was done, he held her wrists behind her back with one hand and continued pointing the gun with the other. He then led her through the house to a woman's bedroom. "This is where you will be staying." He let her go and threw her into the room, causing her to fall to the floor, just as he closed the door. "Good night, Alice."


	6. Chapter 6

Alice and Hatter continued their journey, and once they felt that they were far enough away they ate the mushrooms that returned them to their normal size. As they continued walking, Hatter turned around to notice that Alice was lagging behind him. "Here," he said as he approached her, "allow me." He lifted her up and carried back to his place. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. As he carried her and felt her in his arms, he remembered the feeling of carrying a little girl, his little Grace, in his arms, and how good it was to feel that warmth again. When they got to his place, he laid her down gently into bed and tucked her in. "Good night Alice." He then closed the door as he watched her sleep, passing out as soon as her head hit the pillow.

The next morning, Alice wandered through Hatter's home and was greeted by the sight of him making breakfast. "Good morning Alice," he said with a smile. Alice returned the greeting and sat down as he presented the meal in front of her.

After she finished eating, she stood up and took his hand. "Thank you so much for everything Hatter. You're one of the best friends I could've ever asked for. And so as hard as this is, I'm afraid I'm going to have to say goodbye."

"Where do you think you're going?" Hatter asked with a stern expression as she turned around to leave.

"I'm going home. I've been gone for long enough, and I'm sure they're worried about where I've wandered off to."

"I already told you, there's no way of leaving here. I've spent every day since I've been trapped in this hellhole trying to find a way out, and I've been here much longer than you."

"But I know there is a way. After all, I found my way here, and I'll find my way back by going the way I came. Well, goodbye Hatter."

Alice turned to leave again when Hatter stopped her. "You still owe me!"

She froze. "What?"

"You still owe me. I saved your life, so now it's mine. You promised to stay with me. And if you try to leave me, I will return you to the Queen of Hearts."

Alice's eyes widened. Slowly she approached Hatter. He smiled a somewhat devious smile as she walked into his arms and he stroked her hair, tears strolling down her cheek. He gently pushed her away so that he could look at her. "Now," he said standing up, "What shall we do today? Oh I know! How about a nice tea party with our friend the Hare? Then maybe we can take a stroll and enjoy the scenery?" Before Alice could respond, he had already walked out of the room.

* * *

Alice had lost track of how many days passed, but each day was basically the same. Every day there was a tea party with the Hare, some alone time for them to hang out, and times when Hatter would be working on his hats and Alice had to wait in the room. He always kept an eye on her, for he did not allow her to ever be left alone. Sometimes his hold over her felt that of a captor while other times it felt like that of an overprotective father.

During the times when he would be making his hats, he would be too focused to pay attention to Alice. However he would pay enough attention to catch her if she ever tried to escape. Usually during these times Alice would sit and be bored. "Why do you keep making hats if you know they'll never bring you home?"

"Because I've made one before and I can make another one."

"Let's say that you made a hat that worked. What about me?"

Hatter paused for a moment. "Well, if I was free to go, then so would you. You could go back home and everything would go back to normal." He continued his work, only pause again. "However, if you really wanted you could come home with me. After all, I've really enjoyed our time together and it would be a shame knowing I could never see you again. Besides, I'm sure Grace wouldn't mind having a sister to play with."

"Grace? Who's Grace?"

Damn it, Hatter thought. It's not like he purposefully didn't tell Alice about his daughter, but he didn't want her to think that she was just a temporary replacement, even though he knew that she was. He sighed as he put the hat and needle down. "Grace is… well… she's my daughter. My wife died a long time ago and it had been just the two of us. One day the Queen of my land asked me to do her a favor and help her retrieve a stolen item from the Queen of Hearts. And believe it or not, magic has rules, and the rule of the hat was that only the same number of people who come in could come out. Well she didn't tell me that the stolen item was her father, abandoning me here without a way of getting home. All the while my poor Grace, waiting for the day when I can come home to her, probably wondering why I abandoned her when I told her that I would be home later that night. She warned me not to go, and I should've listened. Thankfully she's not alone, I left her with neighbors I know I could trust, but still."

"Is that the real reason you're keeping me here? So that I can fulfill Grace's spot until you go home to her?"

"No! Okay, at first yes, but not anymore."

"I don't understand."

"Alice," he put his stuff down and approached her, taking her hands. "When you first showed up, I was so happy because you were alone in need of someone to take care of you, and I was alone and needed someone to take care of. But after spending all this time with you and getting to know you, I now love you for who you are, like another daughter. Tell me, do your parents favor you or your sister any more than the other?" Alice shook her head. "Exactly! And that's exactly how I feel about you and Grace, I love you as if you were her sister, my other daughter."

Alice pulled her hands away from Hatter. "Just because you love me as another daughter doesn't mean that I love you as another father. No one could ever replace my real family. And even though you saved my life, you must be truly mad if you think that I ever would love you back." Hatter tried to reach his hand out to her, but she pushed it away. "Get away from me!" she shouted as she stood up and stormed out of the room.

"Alice! Where do you think you're going?" Hatter shouted. "Alice!" He ran after her.

Alice turned around to notice him following her and picked up the pace. Unfortunately she wasn't fast enough and Hatter caught her and picked her up. She kicked and squirmed trying to break free of Hatter's hold. "Let go of me!" But Hatter without saying a word carried her to her room and locked her in. Alice ran to the bed, crying her eyes out. Meanwhile on the other side of the room, Hatter leaned his back against the wall, slowly sliding down the floor, crying as well.


	7. Chapter 7

Alice woke up feeling the sunlight touch her face. It took her a few seconds, but she soon remembered the events of the previous night and that she wasn't home. She looked out of the window, but realized that she was too high up to escape. She then headed for the door, which to her surprised was now unlocked. As she wandered through the hall, she could hear sound coming from downstairs. She followed the sound, leading her to the kitchen with Jefferson preparing breakfast. "Good morning Alice," he said with a smile when he noticed her. Alice stared at him as she sat down. After he finished cooking, he placed the dish in front of her, despite her showing no signs of interest. "So Alice," he said sitting next to her, smiling, "what would you like to do today?"

Alice glared up at him. "I want to go home."

"This is your home now." Alice looked back down. "Look, I know we started off on the wrong foot last night…"

"No, we started off on the right foot. You're the one who screwed it up by holding me hostage here."

"Please Alice, give me another chance. Before you know it, you'll learn to love it here and never want to leave. I know you're skeptical about me right now, but I promise you that when I said that I have no intentions of hurting you, I meant it."

"Says the man who drugged me, tied me up, and pressed a gun to my back."

"But I wasn't going to hurt you. I promise you that you will be safer here than you've ever been, that I have nothing but good intentions for you. So what do you say?"

Alice continued to glare at him. After the events of last night, there was no doubt in her mind that he was clearly psychotic. However she could tell that he meant every word he was saying. She let out a sigh of defeat. "Fine, one chance," she said reluctantly.

A few hours passed when Alice heard a knock at her door. She opened it to see Jefferson wearing a top hat. "My lady," he said, putting his hand out.

Intrigued yet cautious, Alice accepted, wrapping her hand around his arm as he led her away. "Where are we going?"

"Oh you'll see."

He led her outside to a huge rose garden. They wandered around in awkward silence, still holding on to each other. Finally Alice was the first to speak up. "Your garden is beautiful."

"Well, twenty-eight years alone in a big place like this, a man needs quite a few hobbies." He finally led her to an elaborately decorated table, covered in teapots and tea cups, as well as several pastries and treats spread across. Jefferson broke away from Alice to pull out a chair. "Please," he said smiling, "sit." Alice couldn't help but to return the smile and sat down before Jefferson took his seat. He began to pour tea into their cups.

"I don't understand. What's the occasion?"

"You're the occasion my dear." He stopped pouring and lifted the cup. "A toast, to Alice, both in memory and to the one sitting beside me."

Alice uncomfortably smiled and took a sip. Jefferson's smile faded as he could sense Alice's discomfort. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just, well, I feel like I don't really know you all that well, and you don't really know me. If I'm being forced to stay here, I would at least like to get to know the man whom I'm forced to live with. And if you really want me here as much as you say you do, then I want you to get to know me."

"Alright, what would you like to know?"

"Well, for one thing you keep talking about how you've been alone in this house for twenty-eight years, and yet you're about in your thirties. So does that mean you've been alone here since you were a kid, or…?"

"If I told you the truth you wouldn't believe me, just like with the truth about your great-great grandmother."

Alice still had more questions to ask him, but she knew that asking him about his obsessions and delusions would just continue to upset them both.

After the tea party, Jefferson told Alice that he has some private work that needed to get done. Since she had time to herself, she decided to explore the house. As she explored each room, even though she was impressed with the architecture, nothing specifically stood out to her. She thought that someone as insane or obsessed with Alice in Wonderland as him would have a much stranger looking home, but nope.

Maybe he isn't as insane as I thought, Alice thought as she wandered around. That was until Alice passed by a room with the door closed. She pressed her ear against the door, hearing the sound of mumbling on the other side. She quietly opened the door just a crack to see Jefferson diligently sewing a top hat together, sitting in a room with shelves lined up in dozens of hat. "Get it to work, get it to work," he muttered to himself repeatedly, glaring at it as if he would kill if it didn't "work." Okay, never mind, Alice thought closing the door and walking away.

Alice continued looking through the house when she noticed that the next couple rooms had telescopes. She looked through one and saw the police station. She was confused as to why it was aimed there, but she didn't think about it too much. She then looked through another and was shocked by what she saw: The Rabbit Hole. That explains how he knew I was there, she thought.

Alice didn't see Jefferson again until later that night at dinner. They both ate in awkward silence until Alice spoke up. "Hey Jefferson, I know you said that you don't intend on hurting me, so then what exactly are your intentions with me?"

"Simple, I just want you to keep me company and provide you with a home."

"But why me? And please don't give me the whole grandmother story again."

"Well that aside, after hanging out with you at the bar the other night, I felt a connection between us and I wanted to get to know you more."

"How did you know that I was even going to be there that night though? You made it seem as if meeting you was an unintentional."

"I have my ways. Besides, Alice going to The Rabbit Hole, it seemed rather inevitable, don't you think?" he said with a smile. Alice couldn't help but smile back.

Before Alice knew it days had passed, with each day passing more and more quickly. And with each day that passed, Alice and Jefferson were spending more and more time together. As much as Alice hated to admit it, the more they spent time together, the more she found herself falling for him. And as much as Jefferson hated to admit it also, he too was falling for her.


	8. Chapter 8

Later that night Alice was still crying on the bed when she heard a tap on the window. Wiping her tears she got up to see what the cause was. She looked out the window to see that it was none other than the White Rabbit, using his paw to motion her to come outside. She opened the window and climbed out. The Rabbit put his paw to his lips and they quickly ran away as quietly as they could. "You're not here to take me back to the Queen, are you?" Alice whispered, her voice trembling.

"Of course not, I'm here to rescue you."

"But how? And why?"

"Because Wonderland is not a safe place, especially for people like you. It could drive you to madness," he said gesturing his head in the direction of Hatter's home. "I found my way to your world on accident, but I haven't forgotten how to get there. If I could get there, then so could you."

"Then why do the Queen and Hatter say that there is no way back?"

"Because there is no way back to _their_ world. They come from a different world than you do. And honestly, it's not fair what Hatter is doing to you. Just because he can't get home doesn't mean he should stop you. Now come on!"

The White Rabbit hopped along while Alice followed. "Mr. Rabbit." He stopped and turned around. "Thank you."

The Rabbit couldn't help but smile at the little girl's wide-eyed charm. "You're very welcome Miss..."

"Alice."

"Miss Alice." Together they ran into the night, Alice once again following the White Rabbit as he led her back home.

The next morning Hatter woke up. He started to make breakfast as he waited for Alice to wake up. He waited all morning, and when he saw how late it was he decided to go inspect the situation. "Alice?" he asked gently knocking on the door. There was no answer. "Alice, are you alright?" There was still silence. Hatter opened the door to find the bed empty and the window open. He frantically ran to the window and looked outside. "Alice!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, but there was no response but the empty landscape. "Alice!" he shouted again, this time with tears forming in his eyes, but still no response. He stepped away from the window, angrily kicking the bed and knocking down furniture, before he fell to his knees sobbing uncontrollably. "Alice, why did you leave me?"

* * *

Alice's mom stormed into the sheriff's office at the police station. "Any updates?"

"I'm sorry, but still no sign of her," Emma Swan replied.

"It's been three weeks! How could there still be nothing after three weeks?"

"Look Mrs. Lewis, right now I'm currently balancing two missing person cases, and one of them is presenting itself with more evidence. But I promise you that as soon as anything turns up I will let you know. Whoever is behind this certainly knows how to cover their tracks really well."

* * *

Jefferson's initial plan was to take Alice, continue where they had left off, and possibly help him back home. He loved Alice like another daughter, and anticipated that she would be older, but what he didn't anticipate would be his growing romantic interest in her. It was with these feelings that he knew that the Alice who lived with him now was not the same Alice from before, and he was okay with that. In fact, he found himself having stronger feelings for this Alice than the last one. While the previous Alice shunned him, she opened herself up to him. She was the only thing that made sense in his crazy, messed up world, the only thing that currently made his life livable. He still wanted to protect and take care of her, but the more he spent time with her, the harder it was for him to be around her. He always promised himself that he would never love another woman after his wife passed, which caused him to emotionally torture himself the more he was around Alice. Not to mention that he had spent the past twenty-eight years trying to find a way to reunite with his daughter, and for how close he was with his plan, he couldn't let his love for Alice overshadow that for his daughter.

However Jefferson wasn't the only one who was being emotionally tortured. Alice was also struggling to repress her growing feelings for Jefferson. She hated that she was falling for her captor, but she always enjoyed spending time with him and couldn't help but be attracted to his dark mysterious ways. It also felt like the more time they spent together, the saner he seemed. That is until recently when he seemed to become more subdued and want to spend less time with her.

One day Alice was wandering around the house looking for Jefferson, but she couldn't find him. Finally she heard the front door open, which was odd for her since he barely ever left the house. She ran down and saw him carrying a bag. "For you," he said smiling, handing her the bag.

She took it and pulled out the content: a semi-formal white and light blue satin dress. "It's beautiful."

"Keep looking."

Alice felt at the bottom another smaller bag. She pulled it out, pulling out the little black box inside. She gasped in awe when she opened the box: a rhinestone necklace in the shape of a rose. "Oh my god, thank you!" She reached over and hugged Jefferson. When she backed away, she looked somewhat concerned. "But what's the occasion for all of this?"

"I want you to wear these tonight at dinner. I have something important to tell you." Alice couldn't help but feel both nervous and excited, not knowing whether to anticipate good or bad news.

Later that night as Jefferson finished setting the table he looked up to see Alice enter wearing her new outfit. "How do I look?" she asked apprehensively.

Jefferson stared at her in awe. "You look beautiful." She smiled as she sat down while he went to bring in dinner.

The two of them barely touched their food, nervously anticipating the important news. Jefferson took a deep breath. "Alice, you are happy here, right?"

"Of course. Why do you ask?"

"Remember when I said that I didn't want you to leave because I was afraid that you would rat me out to the police?"

"Yes…"

"If I were to let you out, would you still do that?"

Alice was torn. On the one hand she felt obligated to do so, but on the other she had grown to care for Jefferson and she would never want to turn on him in such a way, especially because with the exception of the first night he never actually did anything to her. "No," she finally said. "I wouldn't. Again, why do you ask these?"

Jefferson reached across the table to hold Alice's hands in his. "Alice, you are an amazing and beautiful young woman who deserves to go out and live your life. I can't hold you back like this anymore and force you to spend your life locked up away from the world like me."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Alice asked nervously, pulling her arms back.

Jefferson sighed. "Alice, I think it would be better for you if I set you free."

"But I don't want to leave. This is more of a home than I've ever had."

"I can't keep you away from your family. They're probably worried sick about you."

"I don't care. Why do you want this, especially after all the trouble you took to getting me here? You kept saying that I would learn to love my new life with you, and now that I do you want me to leave? What's your real reason for this?" she demanded. Now it was Jefferson's turn to be torn. On the one hand he didn't want to tell her how he truly felt about her, but on the other hand he didn't want to lie to her. Impatient, Alice stood up. "When you feel ready to tell me, you'll know where to find me," she said heading out of the room.

Jefferson stood up. "Alice wait!"

Alice stopped. "What?" she asked in a low voice, not even bothering to look at him.

Jefferson approached her and turned her around to look at him, holding her hands in his. "Alice, there's something important I need to tell you."

"I'm listening."

"Alice, I…" Jefferson felt himself tense up. No matter how hard he tried, no words appeared to come out of his mouth. All he could do was just stare at her.

Alice felt his hands rapidly shaking around hers. "Yes…" she said in anticipation. She could see tears starting to form in his eyes.

Jefferson finally let go. "I can't do this," he said storming out of the room.

Alice wandered the halls until she heard the sound of sobbing coming from behind the door to her room. Quietly she walked in to see him sitting with his back to her, not acknowledging her entering the room. She looked over his shoulder to see that he was fiddling with her dress from the night they met.

"Jefferson?" Alice said quietly as she placed her hand on his shoulder. Jefferson turned around, his eyes stained with tears, embarrassed about how he looked in front of her. He then turned away from her, as she made her way in front of him and kneeled down. Taking him by surprise, she then proceeded to wrap her arms around him and gently press her head against his chest. "I love you too," she said in barely above a whisper.

"What did you just say?"

"I said that I love you too." It was Alice's turn to get teary eyed.

Jefferson gently lifted Alice's chin so that they were looking into each other's eyes. He then leaned forward, pulling Alice into a passionate kiss, as both their tears merged together. When they pulled away, Jefferson stood up and held his hand out to her, Alice blindly accepting.

He led her downstairs to the main entrance, where her eyes widened in fear and she pulled away from him. "No!" she cried, "Please don't make me leave!"

"Alice," he said approaching her. "I'm doing this for your own good."

"But I don't understand why I can't just stay here and live with you."

"Because you deserve better than me."

"But I want to be with you."

"I know." He took her hand again and led her out to his car. Once inside, he asked for her address, and she reluctantly told him.

Jefferson pulled up about a block away from the house. "Alice, listen to me. As hard as it may seem after everything that's happened, you have to promise me something." Alice nodded. "You must promise me that you'll forget me, and all that's happened between us."

Alice just stared at him, holding back more tears. "I can't," she finally said.

"I know, but promise me you'll try. Just looking back and thinking about me will only cause more pain. But just know that no matter what, I will always love you. And it's because I love you that I want you to live your life and forget about me."

Alice just stared at him, not sure what to really say. Jefferson then leaned in for another kiss, which Alice gladly accepted. When they pulled apart, he got out of the car and went around to open her door. She cowered away, not wanting to get out. "No!" she cried as he pulled her out of the car. "I don't want to live without you! Please don't leave me!" He walked with her a few steps away from the car and kissed her again before leaving her alone. He then got back in and drove off, looking at her through the rear-view mirror as she stood there watching, fighting back his own tears.

When he returned home, he staggered upstairs back to Alice's room. He finally collapsed onto her bed, once again holding her dress. "Oh Alice," he whispered, sobbing into the dress. "Why did you have to love me?"


End file.
